Last chance to see Mawkin this weekend

Ace Space gig on folksters final tour

“FAMILY commitments have ultimately put an end to our fun and frolics. Over the past two years it’s become increasingly hard to find time to put into the band as our families grow and our career paths change and so we've decided to call time on Mawkin.”

So now, there's just a short tour of six gigs, but it takes in Newbury at ACE Space on Saturday.

The Mawkin journey started 16 years ago with three musicians plus instruments cramming into a Citroën 2CV and driving to Dartmoor Folk Festival for their first gig. Since then they’ve grown into a five-piece band and their brand of boisterous folk music has gained many fans along the way. They are a festival favourite, with main stage appearances at major festival such as Cambridge and Towersey. As well as appearances on BBC1 and ITV they supported Bellowhead on their final farewell tour, playing to 40,000 people. Sadly, now it’s Mawkin embarking on their farewell tour – no dramatic rock ’n’ roll break-up, just driven by practicalities.

Mawkin will be touring their last CD Down Among The Dead Men, of which Bright Young Folk said it “will quicken the pulse on the first listen, and reward second and third helpings with a chance to appreciate the subtleties of the arrangements and technique lying beneath the surface. Ideal for those who enjoy traditional English music that’s loud, energetic and adeptly played”.

In support is singer-songwriter Katherine Priddy, who the ACE Space team saw supporting Trembling Bells in Oxford, when she was studying for English at university. Now only 24, Priddy’s haunting vocals and finger-picking guitar style have already been captivating audiences around the UK for seven years. The legendary Richard Thompson picked her debut EP Wolf as his ‘Best Thing I've Heard All Year’ in MOJO Magazine review of 2018. Folk Radio UK pronounced the release to be “something extraordinary indeed... one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard. Her tone, phrasing pitch and sentiment... it’s flawless”.

Tickets, priced £15, are available from Hogan Music, www.WeGotTickets.com and events@acespace.org.uk or telephone 078911 76940.

STEPHEN OTTNER